Page 83 of Daydream

My eyes scan across the work surface in front of him where there’s ingredients everywhere and my oven is on. “What’s happening?”

Henry grabs an apron from the hook on the wall and pulls it over his head. “I’m baking your cookies for book club tomorrow. I’ve watched you do it a million times, so it’ll be easy. I have your nana’s recipe and a strong desire to not be haunted by her if I fuck it up.”

“Oh,” is all I manage to say as he rounds the breakfast bar and pulls out a stool for me, nodding toward it for me to sit.

“I talked to Mrs. Astor while you were in the shower, and she gave me her grocery list. Russ is going to the store now to pick it up for her, while Aurora creates a short list for your mom’s Christmas present. She said to text her your budget. Cami is fine; I called her but she was in the middle of a Pilates class and only answered because she assumed it was an emergency. You might want to follow up.”

I will not cry. I willnotcry. “I will.”

“Jaiden claims he won every science fair at his school. I don’t believe him, but he does have a degree in chemistry, and your sister is eight, so I can’t foresee a problem. He’s going to send over some ideas and research direction when he gets home.

“Bobby claims he already read youractualbook club pick but he’s going to skim it to remind himself, then send you a detailed voicenote about everything that happens. As well as some questions you can ask. He did offer to run the session for you, but I assumed you wouldn’t want that. I recommend that you don’t want that.”

“But isn’t everyone busy going home for Thanksgiving? Or studying? I don’t want people to get behind when finals are coming up.”

“People want to help you, Halle. And I think you’re the only person I know who’s already started studying.”

I’m staring at him in awe, and in return he looks at me like I have two heads. “Thank you.”

“Why are you looking at me weird?”

“Because you stopped the boat from rocking,” I say, feeling the relief and appreciation meld.

“I don’t know what that means,” he says, turning my electronic scale on. “I made the executive decision to say fuck off to planning the vacation. So all that’s left is that you need to talk to Gigi, and then study if that’s something you feel like you should be doing.”

“Will you kiss me?” I ask. “I promise I’m done crying.”

“No,” he says, and honestly, it catches me off guard. “Because if I kiss you, I’ll want to do more, and I have already washed my hands. Ask me again when I’m done.”

“Yes, Captain.”

GIGI SPENDS OUR ENTIRE VIDEOcall asking me repeatedly who she can hear in my kitchen.

I’m thankful that Henry told me to put my headphones on, saying if he wanted to listen to children complain about homework, he’d spend time with his teammates. I pointed out he’s complained for the past three months, and he told me it didn’t count because I think he’s hot.

I’m still not sure how the two things are linked, but I do think he’s hot.

After watching him concentrate on the recipe book over the top of my laptop, I’m inclined to agree with him that’s he’s good at everything. It takes longer than normal to get Gigi off the call, not because she suddenly developed an interest in me but because she’s nosy.

Shutting my laptop, I watch Henry watching the cookies through the oven door as I stand and stretch. He assembled the ingredients more slowly than I do because he’s so determined to get them right the first time. “They bake slower if you watch them.”

He turns his head to look at me, eyebrows pinched enough for a tiny line to appear between them. “That sounds like a lie.”

“It’s true,” I say as confidentially as I can without laughing. He stands straight and walks around the counter to my side, leaning in to kiss my temple. “Every baker knows.”

“How do you feel now?” he asks, tucking my hair behind my ear and rubbing his thumb along my jaw affectionately.

“Better. So, so much better, but equally like I need a full-body massage to get rid of all the tension.”

His hand travels from my jaw down my neck, and along my collarbone gently. “There’s something I can do that will definitely get rid of all the tension in your body, and I bet I can do it before the oven timer goes off.”

“I’ll take those odds.”

Kissing me gently first, Henry drops to his knees, and it’s possibly the most devastating sight I’ve ever seen. I’ve never been so grateful to be wearing a dress. His hands run up the outside of my thighs, gliding past the hem, settling on the band of my underwear. “Have you done this before?”

He watches me, his tongue tracing his bottom lip as he waits for an answer. “No, but I want to know what it’s like.”

“Good. So do I. Lean back against the counter.”

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